Cheilosia illustrata is an attractive bumble bee mimic featuring a conspicuous dark wing cloud. The body is mainly covered in very pale hairs, but usually displays a well-developed band of black hairs across the thorax, and another across tergite 3.

The tip of the abdomen often has a visible covering of reddish orange hairs. The black hair bands can be much weaker on some specimens, especially males, so that entirely pale-haired forms are less-recognisable, apart from the wing cloud. There should be little chance of confusing this species with any other, though dark male Leucozona lucorum look somewhat similar because of the dark wing cloud.

It is a widespread and fairly abundant midsummer species on umbellifer flowers in hedgerows and at woodland edges throughout Britain and Ireland, wherever hogweed or angelica are present.

www.uknature.co.uk is a website dedicated to showing the immense diversity of UK nature and wildlife. Our vast range of habitats, from lowland arable to snow covered mountains, from storm-ravaged coastlines to peaceful inland freshwater lakes and rivers, from dry, sandy heaths to deciduous and coniferous forests, all these habitats contribute to the abundance of UK nature. We have wild birds in huge numbers either residing or visiting our shores (597 recorded species as at July 2013) and we must also not forget the humble back garden with its grass lawns, flower beds filled with nectar rich flowers, shrubs and trees, all designed to attract huge numbers of insects such as bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies; and finally the small ponds which provide safe havens for frogs, toads, newts and even slow worms and grass snakes. www.uknature.co.uk is the showcase for my personal passion, photographing uknature in all its glory. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labours.